Game devices



Sept. 9., 1969 G. JORDAN 3,465,470

Unted States Patent 3465470 GAME DEVICES Frank G. Jordan, 3943 Diversey Ave. Chicago, 111. 60647 Filed Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 403,033 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Sept. 9, 1985, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. A63h 33/00 U.S. Cl. 46-37 Claims ABSTRACT OF TIIE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for producing the visual eiect of the circle or circles of stars, comprised of an opaque card having transparent areas or holes that are triangular in shape and geometrically arranged in a circle or circles, which openings cooperate when the card is rotated before an illurninated television tube to generate stars.

This inventon relates to improvements in game devices and is particularly concerned with the construction of novel playing cards adapted to be used in conjunction with an illuminated television picture tube so as to produce novel design patterns.

The inventon is more particularly concerned with the production of a group of playing cards having a series of novelly shaped openings or transparent areas therein which are specially arranged, so that when the card is rotated or spun in a plane substantially parallel with the front surface of an illurninated television picture tube, which provides a flashing source of light, there is generated a plurality of unique designs. Select cards of the group have their openings or transparent areas geometrically arranged so as to function when rotated or spun to produce the illuson of a plurality of circles of stars. The precise phenomena of this result is not fully appreciated -but it is believed to arise from rotation of the card at a given frequency so as to coincide with frequency impulses of the light rays emitted from the illuminated picture tube.

It is therefore an object of the inventon to provide perforated cards of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide cards for use in association with an illurninated television picture tube in such manner as to produce critical design configurations.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to which is not expensive or difficult to construct, is very easy to use and effective in use.

The structure and method by means of which the above noted and other advantages of the inventon are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing preferred illustrative embodiments of the inventon, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the game device arranged in front of a television picture tube.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the playing cards, designed to produce, when in use, a series of stars.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another one of the playing cards, designed to produce, when in use, an ornamental pattern.

FIG. 4 is a view of the generated stars.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the relationship of the openings in a card of the type shown in FIG. 2, during spinning thereof.

Referring to the disclosure in the accompanying drawings, the game device may comprise a. group of opaque cards 11 (FIG. 3) each having a plurality of triangular openings or transparent areas 12 randomly arranged in circles about an axis 13. The group of cards also includes one or more opaque cards 14 (FIG. 2) which have a series of triangular openings or transparent areas 15 arranged in circles about the axis 13a. These openings 15 are critically shaped and are geometrically located and disposed in the various positions shown. Each triangle has a 108 angle at its apex. The function of these cards and their triangular openings will best be understood in describing their manner of use.

Referring to the card 11 (FIG. 3) the holder thereof will arrange Same on a pin 16 or the like (FIG. 1) which is thrust through its axis 13. This pin may be and preferably is carried on the end of a stick 17 or other suitable handle to enable the player to hold the card in front of an illurninated television tube 18. Preferably a blank station is tuned in so as to wholly illuminate the tub face but the device will function even though a picture is appearing on the tube.

The player now spins the card rapidly. Spinning of the card 11 will result in the generation of a illurninated pattern by reason of illumination of the opening 12. As the speed of rotation increases or decreases the pattern produced will vary.

Now, when the card 14 (FIG. 2) is similarly mounted and rotated before the illurninated television tube, the geometrically arranged openings 15 therein generate, during certain speeds of rotation, the illusion of a plurality of circles of five-pointed stars 19 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each star is generated by the visual interpositon of the critically arranged triangular openings 15 one over the other during spinning of the card 14. It will be noted that the triangular openings 15 in said card are disposed in three groups of arrangement so that when three adjacent openngs in any circle of openings visually overlap the illustration of a five-pointed star is generated. More specifically, one of the triangular openings 15 in a group of three adjacent openings has its apex disposed toward the axial center of the card, another has its apex disposed substantially toward the direction of rotation of the card, whereas the third opening in the group has its apex disposed in a direction counter to the direction of rotation. In the practice, it has been found in general, that when the card is rotated at a relatively high speed the stars will appear. As the speed of rotation diminishes, the star pattern will change to an ornamental design pattern of no specific characteristics hut, as the rotation continues to diminish, the stars will reappear and will remain clearly visible until the spinning is reduced to a minimum. At certain speeds of rotation, the stars appear to advance in a clockwise direction while at other speeds they advance counterclockwise. This phenomena is believed to arise trom periodic matching of the frequency cycle of rotation with the frequency cycle of the light beam emitted from the television tube because the ultimate result, namely; the generaton of the star pattern, does not occur with the use of an ordinary incandescent lamp.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for producin-g the visual eflect of a circle of stars for use with a flashing source of light comprisin-g a sheet of generally opaque material adapted to be rotated about its axis in front of a flashing source of light, a group of three unformly spaced apart like triangular openings arranged in a circle drawn about the axis center of said sheet, one of said triangular openings in said group having its apex disposed inwardly radially toward the axis of said sheet, another of the triagular openings in said group having its apex disposed generally in the direction of rotation of said sheet, and the third triangular opening in said group having its apex disposed generally in a direction counter to the direction of sheet rotation, said triangular openings in said group combining to generate a star-lke pattern when the sheet is rctated about its axis.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which each trangular opening has an angle of 108 at its apex.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which there are a plurality of groups of three trangles each arranged in the circle about the sheet axis.

4. The apparatus rected in claim 1, in which there is a continuous series of triangular openings arranged in the crcle about the -axis, any adjacent three of which constitute a group.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which there 4 are a plurality of circles of groups of trangular openngs in sad sheet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000153 5/1935 Watson. 3,012,461 12/1961 McCall. 3,204,964 9/1965 Geary 46-88 XR 10 ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner C. R. WENTZEL, Assstant Examiner 

